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ITV fined $11.2 mil over phone-in quizzes

Ofcom says broadcaster's failure was 'institutionalized'

LONDON -- ITV has been hit with a fine of 5.7 million pounds ($11.2 million), the biggest in U.K. television history, for misleading millions of viewers phoning in to quizzes on some of its biggest shows.

The broadcaster was accused by media watchdog Ofcom of having a "completely inadequate" compliance system and of "totally disregarding" the broadcast code in shows including "Saturday Night Takeaway" and "Soapstar Superstar."

"The result was that millions of paying entrants were misled into believing that they could fairly interact with some of ITV's most popular programs," said Philip Graf, head of Ofcom's sanctions committee.